Ingredients
- 1/2 boneless pork loin, about 4 pounds
- 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil plus 4 tablespoons
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced plus 4 cut in halves
- 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced, leaves removed and set aside
- 2 pounds chopped pork shoulder
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Butterfly pork loin to become a sheet 1inch thick and about 8 inches by 14 inches. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a 12 to 14 inch saute pan, heat olive oil until smoking. Add onion and fennel and saute until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add ground pork, fennel seeds, pepper,rosemary and garlic and cook until the mixture assumes a light color, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Add chopped fennel leaves and eggs and mix well.
Spread mixture over pork loin and roll up like a jelly roll. Tie with butchers twine and place in roast pan on top of halved red onions. Place in oven and roast 75 minutes, or until interior temperature is 140 degrees F. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice into 1 inch thick pieces and serve with Scafata, recipe follows.
- SCAFATA OF LIMA BEANS AND ESCAROLE
- Recipe courtesy of Mario Batali
- 4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, chopped into 1/8th-inch dice
- 1/2 medium Spanish onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon crushed chilies
- 1 pound shelled fresh lima beans or 1/2 pound soaked and cooked
- 1/2 bunch escarole, cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
- 1/2 cup Basic Tomato Sauce, recipe follows
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
In a 12-inch to 14-inch saute pan, heat olive oil and pancetta until pancetta is soft and translucent. Add onion, chilies and lima beans and cook until onion softens, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add escarole, tomato sauce and pepper and cook until wilted and soft. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings
- BASIC TOMATO SAUCE
- 1 Spanish onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
- 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 3 ounces virgin olive oil
- 4 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 2 tablespoons dried)
- 1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
- 2 - 28-ounce cans of tomatoes, crushed and mixed well with their juices
- Salt, to taste
Saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until translucent, but not brown (about 10 minutes). Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more. Add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to just bubbling, stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately, or set aside for further use. The sauce may be refrigerated for up to one week or frozen for up to 6 months. Yield: 6 cups
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By cacrawf
on December 29, 2012
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Filling was tasty...fennel and rosemary is a great combo with the pork, but stuffing was a huge challenge to get to stay in the roast. The high roasting temp meant the outside was dry by the time the center was done. I'd salt the filling as well as the roast, add some breadcrumbs to the filling, and lower the roast temp. But instead I think I'll look for another recipe.
By t.palumbo_12236312
hillsborough, 70
on October 18, 2009
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Mario has outdone himself again. Whenever I'm having company I can always rely on one of Mario's recipes. The pork was tender and the stuffing was delicious, the flavors of the meats, vegetables and spices blended so well together. The recipe was simple to put together, okay, I cheated aliltle by having my butcher butterfly the pork which saved time. I also added 1 cup of bread crumbs following Molto Italiano, then roasted the pork on a bed of onions. The result was magnificent and my guest enjoyed their dinner. Thank you Mario!
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